The tranquil halls of Minneapolis’s Annunciation Catholic School, once filled with the sounds of prayer and learning, are now the epicenter of a sprawling investigation after a former student unleashed a horrific barrage of 116 rifle rounds during a back-to-school Mass. As authorities work to piece together the motive behind the attack that left two children dead and 17 injured, their search for answers has led them to a condominium in Naples, Florida, and a woman they desperately need to question: the shooter’s mother.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed the devastating scope of the violence, detailing how the attacker, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, fired over a hundred rounds into the congregation before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The attack claimed the lives of two young students, ages 8 and 10, and wounded 14 other children—some as young as six—along with three elderly parishioners in their 80s. Miraculously, all surviving victims are expected to recover.

At the heart of the unfolding investigation is Mary Grace Westman, the retired Annunciation school employee and mother of the shooter. Law enforcement officials have been unable to locate her for questioning. “We have not been successful in talking to the shooter’s mother,” Chief O’Hara stated, noting that investigators believe she could be at her property in Naples. Authorities are treating her not as a suspect, but as a critical witness who may hold invaluable insight into her child’s life and the events leading up to the tragedy.

The portrait of the attacker is being slowly painted through court records and law enforcement sources. Robin Westman was believed to be a former student of the school. In 2019, when Westman was still a minor, Mary Grace Westman petitioned a Dakota County court to change her child’s name from Robert Paul Westman to Robin M. Westman. The application, signed by the mother, stated the reason plainly: the individual “identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification.”

Amid the grief, stories of profound bravery and resilience are emerging. Thirteen-year-old Endre Gunter was among those shot, struck in the stomach during the massacre. His mother, Danielle, shared that her son underwent emergency surgery and is now on the long road to recovery. She expressed immense gratitude for a Minneapolis police officer who rendered aid, hugged her terrified son, and prayed with him before he was rushed into an ambulance. The family now faces the daunting task of helping Endre “rebuild his life, his trust, and his confidence.”

As investigators meticulously review surveillance video that captured parts of the shooting and gather witness statements, a community is left to mourn. The search for Mary Grace Westman continues, a necessary step in a painful journey toward understanding a senseless act of violence that shattered the sanctity of a place of worship and forever altered the lives of countless families.